Ulcers: How to Treat Them Naturally
What I find so beautiful about naturopathic medicine is that we are always looking at treating the underlying cause of the problem to improve the health of the patient.
Anyone that suspects they may have a peptic ulcer needs to be under the supervision of a doctor as they go through the treatment process. Ulcers are uncomfortable and painful and can lead to more serious medical emergencies like hemorrhage, perforations or obstruction in the stomach.
Peptic ulcers are often treated but symptoms reported by the patient. This is done in conjunction with blood test for H. pylori antibodies, fecal antigen test and urea breath tests. More aggressive diagnosis might also include an endoscopic exam along with a biopsy looking for the presence of h. pylori. If h. pylori is found it must be treated and successfully killed off in order to allow the stomach lining to heal and prevent reoccurrence. Killing off H. pylori can occur through the use of antibiotic or herbal treatments under the close supervision of your doctor.
Once H. pylori has been successfully addressed then most of the rest of treatment can be almost exclusively naturopathic. We look at healing the stomach lining and if there is low stomach acid improving the stomach acid in the body.
Finally we can start changing the lifestyle issues to prevent the reoccurrence of gastric ulcers in the future. Caffeine, smoking and too much alcohol intake are major causes of ulcers accompanied by a poor diet. All of these require changes in behavioral patterns to improve your digestive health. If you have difficulty giving any of these products up then consider seeking out special care to help your body remove its dependency on the substances.
Stress management is another important lifestyle change that is required to prevent ulcers and other digestive issues. Exercise, yoga, meditation, laughter are all important stress management factors that improve stress management for the digestive system and other body systems as well. A whole foods diet is always the foundation for a natural approach to health.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add a Comment1 Comments
Thanks for the informative post!
Yes, stress management definitely helps your body, and the tips you suggested are great for relieving stress. Mind if add another way stress management helps the overall health of your body?
You suggested yoga as a technique for getting rid of stress. Yoga...What's so special about this exercise? You see, yoga triggers a reaction in your body known as the natural relaxation response. What's this? When your body goes through this response, all your tense muscles and nerves loosen up. Your physical and mental being is completely replenished. Also, your immune system starts working better. Why? Yoga helps your mind and body work together in harmony. Too good to be true? Even I first thought so. But yoga rids you of stress through the natural relaxation response. The this response "betters" your body.
Remember those ulcers? Remember that stress? They won't stand a chance against the power of yoga!
For more information on stress relief, feel free to visit http://www.stress-relief-for-you.com
Best Regards,
September 9, 2009 - 2:44pmNikhil
This Comment